Hack Your Memory: Never Forget A Task Again

The importance of leaving notes for your future self.

The hard part about side projects is just that; they’re done on the side. You have limited time, money, and resources to devote to them, and once you’ve put them down they can be difficult to pick back up. But as Brian Bailey advises, working on side projects doesn’t have to involve playing a game of “Where was I, again?”

Bailey has a number of tips to streamline the process, such as:

Be intentional about where you stop for the day. If you’re designing a web page or screen for an app, for instance, try stepping away from the laptop after you’ve made significant progress, but before it’s complete. . .

Others stop during a particularly interesting and enjoyable section. This way, they will be eager to return to the story and with the foundation already set, have no problem getting started.

You can also try leaving yourself a trail via notes or a project journal, and if worse comes to worst:

Keep a list handy of small tasks that are perfect for when time is short or things just aren’t clicking. A little progress is better than growing frustration with a blank page, canvas, or screen.